505 6/28/1943 Helen Carlson to Sadie Erwin

Helen Carlson 401 Alexander, Monroe, Louisiana Monday, June 28, 1943

Sadie Erwin Nortonia Hotel, Portland, Oregon

Dear Mom, I had a nice letter from you this morning and since I have your address I thought I might just as well write to you there. I think it is swell you are taking class and the rest too will do you worlds of good. Your hotel room sounds so nice but it’s a shame there is no heat. It is hard to believe you need it. I had a letter from Jim today and he had been to church Wednesday night and really enjoyed it. Elmer wrote a nice letter to Bill Gossard Sunday. He told him just how it was. How he would be here for two months longer and as much as he wanted to get out there he was still undecided as to what he would do. Mom, the wedding anniversary present I sent wasn’t much. It was a box of pralines which is this southern candy made in New Orleans. I couldn’t send chocolates on account of the heat. I got a kick out of your telling me to remember it was your 33rd anniversary instead of 32nd. You still didn’t lose much time in having Glad though did you. I was in bed all day Thursday and Elmer stayed home from work to take care of Jimmie. I had diarrhea and felt lousy but am fine now. Elmer said he has to work much harder at home than he does at work, and he didn’t even do any or much of the housework. I had to let Annie go last week because I had a fourteen year old white girl over to stay with Jimmie while I went out. Annie took Jimmie upstairs and asked Mrs. Ward to take care of him because she couldn’t stand seeing someone else down here doing what she thought she was supposed to do. She called me today though and said she was going to California soon and wanted to know if I would give her a reference. I told her I certainly would be glad to give her a very good one. She told me about the woman next door to her who does washing and said she would do mine so I’m glad to know about that because it takes two weeks to get it back from the laundry now and I don’t have enough sheets to wait that long. I see a nice storm is coming up and I am glad because it has been so hot, but so far we’ve been getting relief just about every day. Lately I’ve had plenty of coffee, Mom, because I’ve been boiling it since my coffee pot gave out on me. If I ever get around to buying a new one I’ll probably be glad to take advantage of your coffee coupons because I used to always run out. This afternoon I’m going shopping with Jane Callora as she wants a maternity dress. We each have a Jimmie and hers is only four months older than mine. Mr. Callora is Elmer’s immediate boss but not the head one. They are leaving Friday and going back to New York where they are from and where the main office is. I’ve mentioned them before and like Jane so much. What do you do in all your spare time, Mom. I suppose you have a lot of studying to do. I hope you don’t get lonesome because this is a wonderful chance for you. Elmer’s sister Florence is home from the hospital but said she was a nervous wreck because the mother is very sick again and that gives Florence an awful lot of work to do with no time to rest. I feel sorry for her. That was a shame you had to stand up from Tacoma to Olympia. It’s that way all over so I can’t see how I could travel on the train with Jimmie. Well Mom, since Jim is sleeping so good I guess I‘ll lie down a few minutes too. After the boys nap is when we are going shopping. Get a good rest and enjoy your stay there, Mom, and I’ll write again later. Love, Helen France Dew expects a baby in December, her first, and she is very happy about it. Dorothy Dew’s husband is overseas now.